15 ice cream cafes in Singapore for when you need a midday treat

When it comes to hot weather, Singapore’s is pretty relentless — think 365 days a year relentless. Thankfully, these homegrown ice cream cafes have got their dessert games down pat, with an assortment of flavours, toppings and accompaniments to help cool you down (and cheer you up) whenever temperatures get a little high.

Here's our round-up of 15 ice cream cafes in Singapore that are bound to satisfy, whether it's a plain ol' chocolate ice cream, a fancy avo gelato, or savoury flavour you're craving.

Tom’s Palette

Tom’s Palette, started more than a decade ago by Chronos Chan and his wife Eunice Soon, has always been focused on researching to create flavours using unconventional dessert ingredients. Ever since the creation of their Salted Egg Yolk Ice Cream (inspired by the Liu Sha Bao, a steamed bun with a runny salted egg yoke custard filling), they have been challenging themselves to push the boundaries.

Each ice cream flavour (from $4 for a single scoop) is designed to evoke all senses, bringing together aroma, flavour, and texture. Interesting flavours they have concocted over the years include Parmesan Cheese and Cream Crackers, White Chocolate Nori (seaweed), a luscious Vegan Peanut Butter flavour, and – believe it or not – Tiger Beer Sorbet.

51 Middle Road #01-01, Singapore 188959
Block 212 Hougang St 21, #01-333 Singapore 530212

Find out more here.

Milk and Honey

This cosy little shop located along the Bedok 85 Market specialises in both classic and unique flavours for gelatos.

Milk and Honey’s extensive range of gelato spans from the good old classics, such as Speculoos, White Beauty, and Cookie Monster, which can be enjoyed can be enjoyed in a crispy waffle or cone. Prefer to take some home? You’ll also find pint options, including unique flavours like Tiramisu and Black Goma.

86 Bedok North Street 4, #01-179, Singapore 460086

Find out more here.

The Daily Scoop

From fruity and fun to rich, liqueur-infused options, The Daily Scoop offers a wide variety of flavours. For those with a sweet tooth, try out Rosy Cloud, a nostalgic blend of creamy bandung and mini marshmallows that’s sure to take you back to your childhood. For the non-adventurous, you can’t go wrong with their best-sellers like Kookie Monster, Utterly Avocado, or Mao Shan Wang Durian ice cream. With over 50 flavours available on their online store, pints are reasonably priced from just $19.50.

118 Holland Avenue, #02-04 Raffles Holland V Mall, Singapore 278997

Find out more locations and information here.

Creamier

Creamier first opened in Toa Payoh in 2011, a stone’s throw away from the bustling wet market and hawker centre, serving their lovely ice creams handcrafted in small batches (from $3.60 for a single scoop).

Their ice creams capture the essence of the flavours and are lusciously creamy, with good body and a smooth texture. Their bestselling flavour is the Sea Salt Gula Melaka, their take on salted caramel with an Asian twist that is made with palm sugar sourced from Malaysia and hand harvested sea salt from England. The Roasted Pistachio ice cream is rich and resplendent with the savoury-sweet nuttiness of Italian pistachios and the Thai Milk Tea ice cream made from a premium Ceylon tea brew and sweet cream is fragrant and milky as the beverage, albeit frozen, should be.

Creamier also concocts seasonal flavours, such as Melon Milk and Corn Cheese, inspired by the flavours of popular Korean desserts.

Regardless of which scoop or scoops of ice cream tickle your fancy, they all go perfectly well with one of their freshly made, crispy-on-the-outside-fluffy-on-the-inside golden waffles – best eaten on-site.

Blk 131 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 #01-02 Singapore 310131

Find out more locations and information here.

The Dark Gallery

Chocoholics rejoice, for The Dark Gallery has expanded to three outlets around Singapore for that indulgent, chocolate fix.

Besides their velvety Single Origin Dark Chocolate drink, and decadent Signature Dark Chocolate Cake with dark chocolate buttercream layered with dark chocolate sponge cake, The Dark Gallery’s selection of homemade chocolate ice creams (from $5 for a single scoop) should not be missed.

There is also a range of plated ice cream desserts for dine-in, such as the Single Origin Chocolate Platter that comprises a 66% Ecuador Brownie, 68% Bali Tart; 72% Venezuela Trifle, and 75% Tanzania ice cream. If you’re there purely for the ice creams, go for The Ice Cream Soiree, where you can choose any three ice cream flavours and get it topped with dark chocolate sauce and caramelised almonds.

Millenia Walk, #01-K5, Singapore 039596

Find out more locations and information here.

Apiary

Apiary is a pretty little ice cream shop decked in light wood located at Neil Road.

The milky and velvety smooth ice creams (from $5.90 for a single scoop) here are made from scratch and flavours are calibrated to the right intensity and balance that allows the ingredients to shine through. Highlights include their Ferraro Rocher flavour and Sicilian Pistachio ice cream, which is a hit not only with locals but Italian customers as well. While these pistachios are costly, the owners stress that it's not their style to compromise on the quality of the ingredients.

Other unusual flavours will include the Blue Milk, a bestseller that sees the use of blue pea flower and sea salt. A great place to sit down and pair some lovely ice cream with their waffles (charcoal or plain) and yummy brownies.

84 Neil Road, Singapore 088844

Find out more locations and information here.

Birds of Paradise

Helmed by engineer-turned-gelato maker Edwin Lim, Birds of Paradise serves ice creams (from $5.50 for a single scoop) that are light on the palette and refreshing. Their gelatos are flavoured using natural and botanical ingredients: fruits, flowers, pods, herbs, and spices.

Purity of flavour is what Edwin looks for and you can taste it in the floral White Chrysanthemum gelato with crunchy cocoa nibs, the fruity and slightly herby Strawberry Basil and the deliciously fragrant Hazelnut. Instead of a cup, get your scoop placed in a thyme-infused waffle cone, painstakingly handmade in-store.

Previously a little gelato shop housed in a shophouse along East Coast Road, the shop has expanded to six outlets, including one in Jewel Changi Airport.

63 East Coast Road, #01-05, Singapore 428776

Find out more locations and information here.

Udders

For ice creams that pack a punch of flavour, and some intoxicating booze, Udders is the place to go to. This homegrown ice cream enterprise remains a firm favourite with ice cream lovers (from $5 for a single scoop). What makes their ice cream so udderly successful? They go through 20 to 30 versions of each flavour during the creative process to perfect the desired depth of natural flavour and mouth-feel, and to fine-tune the nuances.

What helps Udders stand out from the rest is their “adults-only”, intensely alcoholic ice creams such as Rum Rum Raisin (3.9% alcohol), Tira-miss-u (Tiramisu 3.8% alcohol using brandy), Baileys & Bourbon (3.3% alcohol), Wineberries (3.5% alcohol) – so potent that the shops need a liquor license to sell them, and you would have to be 18 years old and above in order to purchase.

17 Lorong Kilat, #01-09 Kilat Court, Singapore 598139

Find out more locations and information here.

Overrun

If you’re looking for an Instagram-worthy, over-the-top cup of soft serve, Overrun is your go-to place.

This takeaway-only halal soft serve shop in the Bugis area offers three flavours – signature chendol (coconut, pandan jelly and gula melaka bits), pistachio kunafa chocolate, and a new creation every week that they announce on their social media.

Previous amazing-looking concoctions include Vanilla topped with Honey Cornflakes and biscoff cookie; Bubblegum flavour topped with a lollipop, mini marshmallows and fruity pebbles; and the Rocher Chocolate flavour complete with chocolate cereal bits and ganache.

29 Arab Street, Singapore 199728

Geometry

Named after the formulas and equations needed to create their gelatos, this neighbourhood café is the brainchild of two childhood friends whose common dream was to open a café.

Recommended flavours are the Bing Bong, their take on the rainbow-coloured Paddlepop ice cream from yesteryears; Goma, a combination of organic golden and black sesame; and Earl Grey Tie Guan Yin.

Fancy a more substantial dessert? The cosy ice cream parlour (from $5.80 a scoop) also offers a choice of three items you can have a scoop, or two scoops of ice cream, on – an almond tart, Belgian waffle, or a brownie.

2 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-5142, Singapore 150002

Find out more locations and information here.

The Better Scoop

Specialising in Nian Gao waffles and handcrafted ice creams, The Better Scoop has been diligently dishing scoops of homemade ice cream with nostalgic flavours (from $4.80 a scoop).

Expanding to five outlets, The Better Scoop offers an extensive menu of ice cream flavours. From Umeshu (Plum Wine) to Pi Pa Gao ice cream, The Better Scoop offers a spoonful of tradition to pair with their classic or Nian Gao waffle, even having the option of adding on Mochi Skin to your ice cream order.

88 Punggol Way, Punggol Coast Mall, Tower 7, #02-124, Singapore 829913

Kind Kones

Lactose-intolerant, vegan-choosing, and gluten-free individuals rejoice, for indulging in cold scoops of ice cream is no longer a dream.

Ice creams on offer at Kind Kones are all-natural and vegan, and are free from dairy, egg, refined sugar, and other artificial additives. The owners promise the flavour hasn’t been compromised, and flavours here run the gamut ranging from the Almond Brittle Fudge to Salted Chocolate Chip, to local renditions Durian Musang King and Pandan Gula Melaka. A single standard scoop of ice cream starts at $8.80.

Aside from vegan ice creams, Kind Kones also serve a selection of healthier desserts such as a Chocolate Ganache Cake, and Vegan Ice cream cake. There are also vegan breads, cookies, and pastries for sale.

Forum The Shopping Mall, #B1-27, 583 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238884

Find out more locations and information here.

Overscoop

With over 24 flavours to explore, this ice cream shop has an abundance of ice cream flavours, waffles, croffles and even brownies to suit everyone’s tastes.

Ice cream flavours start from $5.50 a scoop and include Acai Berry, Hojicha Green Tea, Mocha Biscotti, Taro coconut and After Eight Mint; while the dessert plate is filled with cakes, waffles, croffles and brownies. The crowd favourite would have to be their mochi waffles and acai bowls, which have customers returning back for more.

55 Tanjong Pagar Road, , Singapore, 088476

Find out more locations and information here.

Burnt Cones

The café’s name is derived from the waffle cones that are handmade daily. These come in three variations – regular, slightly burnt, and burnt. The variations came about when the owners accidentally overbaked their cones during R&D, but realised that the overbaked cones actually went really well with their gelato so voila!

There are 12 flavours of ice cream flavours in the freezer at any one time, some of which are rotated from time to time. Stalwart flavours include Chrysanthemum Goji, Reese’s Peanut Butter, Straccimenta, and Ube (yam). A single scoop starts from $5.

While it generally functions as an ice cream spot, on Fridays to Sundays open till 12am, Burnt Cones also offers brunch from 9am to 1pm, with menu items such as breakfast burger, and scrambled eggs with sourdough.

105 Clementi Street 12, #01-02, Singapore 120105

Find out more locations and information here.

Lickers

This unassuming ice cream joint with neon signs in the Kovan and Telok Blangah heartlands churns out ice cream daily in small batches, ensuring the consistency of its offerings.

Scoops start from $4.30, and ice cream flavours include Honey Comb, Yakult Oreo and Cookie Monster. There’s also the lighter-on-the-palate yoghurts, with flavours such as Oolong Lavender and Roasted Pistachio, which are only available from Friday to Sunday.

One ice cream flavour that stands out is their Yakult Oreo, which is the owners’ take of childhood favourites folded into one, where a lick of light sourness goes perfectly with sweet cookie crumbs. Another bestseller is the Honey Comb, where honeycomb toffees have been melted with their sweet cream, and crunchy comb bits have been folded within.

Night owls will be pleased to know that the cafes open till 2am daily, just in case a late-night ice cream fix is sorely needed.

124 Hougang Avenue 1, #01-1446, Singapore 530124

Find out more locations and information here.